Mine That Bird jogs at Churchill
Source: Daily Racing Form
Mine That Bird, who won the Kentucky Derby and then was second in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, returned to Churchill Downs on Monday night and was back on the track Tuesday morning, jogging once around the wrong way along the outside rail.
"He's really bouncing and animated," trainer Chip Woolley said by telephone. "I'm real happy with him right now. He didn't lose too much weight in the race."
Mine That Bird merely walked the shedrow at the Pimlico stakes barn on Sunday, then traveled by van to Churchill Downs on Monday. Woolley said he would return to galloping Wednesday.
Rachel Alexandra, the Preakness winner, is scheduled to return to the track to train at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.
Mine That Bird is definite for the Belmont Stakes on June 6. No official announcement has yet been made by majority owner Jess Jackson on whether Rachel Alexandra will run. That has put jockey Calvin Borel in a difficult spot. His agent, Jerry Hissam, wants Borel to get on Mine That Bird if Rachel Alexandra does not run in the Belmont. But until a decision is made, Hissam is not about to give up the mount on Rachel Alexandra.
That, though, could cost Borel the mount on Mine That Bird. Woolley on Tuesday said "We haven't made any decisions" regarding a Belmont rider for Mine That Bird. However, he said he did not want to wait too long to commit.